Learner Computer Interaction 

The ZoomEDU project showcased my ability to apply UX principles in a collaborative, iterative design process. Recognizing Zoom's post-pandemic prominence in education, I initiated a brainstorming session to explore opportunities for platform improvement, leading to the project's inception. Our naming of "ZoomEDU" set the stage for our user-centered approach. We began with a thorough user research phase, conducting user analysis to understand the diverse needs of faculty/teachers and students across K-12 and higher education. This data was synthesized into an affinity diagram, facilitating a shared understanding of user pain points and needs. I actively listened and incorporated feedback from my colleagues(users), notably Shelby's suggestion to develop "Agenda" and "Dashboard" features, demonstrating a commitment to collaborative design and user-driven innovation. My leadership extended to information architecture, sketching, modeling, and wireframe creation, ensuring a clear and intuitive user flow. I applied principles from the UX design pyramid, focusing on ecological, interactional, and emotional design. For example, the "color therapy" feature addressed users' emotional needs by allowing personalized home screen customization, demonstrating a holistic approach to user experience. The project's success underscores the effectiveness of our user-centered design process. This project reinforced the importance of empathy, collaboration, and iterative design in creating impactful learning experiences, and I will continue to apply these principles in my future endeavors.

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AI Language Tutor project

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This project aims to revolutionize Chinese language learning by developing an intelligent, interactive web platform. In collaboration with Prof. Ting Su (CMU), we are investigating the effectiveness of AI-driven learning engagement and UI/UX design.

 

We applied design thinking throughout the development process. We began by empathizing with users i.e. college students majoring in Chinese through surveys and interviews to understand their learning pain points. We then defined clear problem statements, focusing on the challenges of mastering Chinese characters and accessing cultural context. This led to ideation, where we brainstormed features that directly address these user needs, such as animated character writing demonstrations, practice exercises, and a dynamic chat interface for cultural inquiries. We then moved into prototyping and testing solutions, including the interactive character practice, login system, and AI-powered chat agent. This iterative cycle of gathering feedback from college students majoring in Chinese allowed us to rapidly refine the user experience in response to their direct input, leading to the highly positive feedback we've received regarding the platform's engaging interface, personalized support, and effectiveness in helping them grasp complex language concepts.

 

The core problem identified was the difficulty in mastering Chinese characters. To address this, our website provided animations and interactive practices designed to enable active writing practice. Recognizing the importance of cultural context, the chat bot allows students to ask questions about various aspects of Chinese culture, such as music and food, enriching their learning experience beyond mere language acquisition. This holistic approach aimed to provide a novel and comprehensive learning experience for learners.

 

At the core of the platform is an AI agent capable of reasoning and utilizing external tools to provide personalized assistance to learners. The website offers a comprehensive learning experience, featuring interactive Chinese character practice with stroke order guidance, a secure login system to track progress, and a dynamic chat interface powered by the AI agent for instant answers to language and culture-related questions.

 

The website is currently in the testing phase and has already received highly positive feedback from college students majoring in Chinese, who praised its engaging and intuitive interface, the personalized support offered by the AI agent, and its overall effectiveness in helping them grasp complex Chinese language concepts. A snapshot of its interface is provided below.

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